EP.153 Coincidence, maybe inevitability (1)
The midsummer sun is hot.
The bright sunlight shining down under the blue sky heats up the sidewalk blocks. The air has become quite warm, and people walking down the street are wearing lighter clothes. And, it was the same for me.
I left the vest and cape I always wore at home. A couple of the top buttons of her shirt were undone and her sleeves were rolled up. The nape of her neck was covered in sweat, and her hair had been pulled back in a ponytail.
Palak.
Still, it felt a little hot, so I tugged on my collar. After wandering around the northern part of the country amidst a blizzard, I feel like I can’t get used to the temperature difference as I walk through the capital city in the middle of summer.
Should I use cooling magic?
Even as I think about that, I speed up my steps thinking that it will soon be a shadow anyway.
“···It’s hot.”
It’s different from the Demon World, where all four seasons are damned.
Actually, this is a normal day, but after traveling around such an abnormal place… the normal weather feels unfamiliar.
Anyway, I sigh.
If you walk like that, you will soon find yourself in an alley.
I walked down the alley, stepping on the cold sidewalk blocks. Noon on a midsummer day. What was the reason for me to come all the way to the capital at a time when going out was such a hardship?
There was a place I had to stop by.
There was someone I had to meet.
While walking down the alley, I blinked my left eye for a moment.
“···hmm.”
My left eye felt a little stiff.
It was better than the first day, but I thought it would take a few more days. I laughed bitterly.
‘This is a cheap deal.’
The sword of death, Ganicalt.
The reward for spying on a monster that cannot be judged by common sense is that one eye becomes blurry for a few days…
‘It’s a price worth bearing.’
With that in mind, I move forward.
There is no one wandering around in the alley, which has a gloomy air. If you walk through the quiet alley paying attention to the patterns carved on the floor, you will soon arrive at your destination.
An old magic tool shop.
“······.”
Standing in front of the store door, I took a moment to catch my breath.
I have encountered the owner of this store, an ancient elf whose true nature is unknown, many times… Now that I have found out his identity, the situation is a bit different from before.
‘Cardi.’
I thought over his name in my mind.
‘Cardi, van Armiel.’
The first magic tower lord of the Gray Magic Tower.
The great sage of the first warrior party.
Of course, if you think about the name Cardi, it’s not a match because it’s full of old-fashioned talent and also reminds me of an elf with some screws missing…
‘···A great person.’
Armiel, the first Mage Tower lord.
He was someone I respected and wanted to be like.
‘Armiel, Cardi…’
Now that I have found out that his true identity is Cardi, I am reminded of the memories of my childhood when my eyes lit up as I looked through the past gray magic tower lords, and I feel sick to my stomach… However, there is no change in the fact that he is a great person.
‘Of all the people I’ve met, I can count you on two fingers.’
It is truly rare for anyone to achieve that level of achievement.
As far as I remember, in order to compare to Cardi’s achievements in history… you had to bring at least an ancient dragon wizard.
It was a strange feeling. very.
I’ve met this person several times, but it must be a familiar person… but it feels like I’m meeting a completely different person.
“Whoa…”
I let out a short breath and put my hand on the doorknob.
I’m sorry.
The old, rusty hinges creak. The shabby paper hanging on the door makes a jingling sound. A person inside the store reacts to the sound.
“huh? “Did you get here quickly?”
It wasn’t Cardi’s voice that was heard.
However, it was a familiar voice.
A voice I can never forget.
Kwasik.
The body reacts to that voice before the consciousness. The finger holding the doorknob takes strength. My body moved uncontrollably at the sound of a voice coming from a place I shouldn’t have heard.
Acceleration and strengthening of muscles.
The spell completed in an instant emits light.
Quang!
I burst into the store with the intention of tearing off the door. Where Cardi should be sitting. There was a girl sitting there.
White hair.
Green-colored eyes.
Apostate, Gletus.
I swung my fist at her reflected in my retina.
2.
“···When on earth is Belnoir coming?”
Chloe is not in a very good mood today.
She puffs out her cheeks and taps the flask. The potion contained in the flask flutters loudly.
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“I said I would come quickly.”
Sit on a chair and shake your legs.
Since she had nothing to do, she was lying face down on her desk and looking at the clock, which was not a very enjoyable time for the active Chloe.
How long has it been since you last had a holiday?
It is a long-awaited holiday given by the Black Magic Tower Lord. Every minute and every second seems like a waste, but Belnoa has no intention of coming even though 30 minutes have passed since the scheduled time.
‘Grandpa Cardi isn’t coming either.’
It’s been a while since the old man went outside as soon as Chloe came, saying that everything was fine and that he could take a look at the store. Thanks to that, Chloe was spending her sweet holiday guarding a store that her customers wouldn’t even visit.
“Who on earth would come to a store like this…?”
An alley where no one walks.
Even in the back alleys, you can’t stop by this store unless you follow a certain order of order. Who else would stop by a store like this other than yourself and Belnoa?
‘I must be a weirdo!’
There’s no way he’s a normal person.
Chloe grumbled and tapped the flask with her finger. The flask tilts and then returns to its original position like a turtle.
After watching it, I think it’s fun.
It was around this time that Chloe started tapping the flask repeatedly, having fun with something that was truly useless.
“oh.”
Is it an accidental mistake in controlling my strength, or is it a warning of impending misfortune?
Cheer up!
The flask broke with a loud noise.
Chloe’s eyes are wide open and she quickly looks for something to wipe. And, it was then.
Jinglang.
The bell on the door rang.
Chloe’s complexion turned pale. It was clear that Cardi was back. Chloe screamed internally.
‘Only in times like this, come quickly…!’
Still, it doesn’t show on the outside.
Chloe speaks calmly in a softer voice than usual, feigning calmness.
“huh? “Did you get here quickly?”
This is the moment when those words were spoken. Sparks flew before Chloe’s eyes. Stellar intuition warns Chloe. Chloe frowns at the warning, which is stronger than ever.
‘···Die?’
There is no time to question that warning.
The door opens wide with a loud noise. The dust that has settled in the old store rises into the air. This was the moment when Chloe blinked due to the rushing wind.
One blink.
Just a fleeting moment.
In that brief moment, something hits me. Chloe slowly opened her closed eyes. And Chloe inadvertently lost her breath.
“Ugh…!”
What came along with the rushing wind was a fist. The fist stopped right in front of Chloe’s eyes.
Huh!
The wind picks up later.
Chloe’s pure white hair is flowing. All of the neatly laid bangs fall back.
“Uh, uhuh…”
Did you say that when faced with a sudden situation, that is, when a person is too surprised, he or she becomes speechless? That was exactly the state he was in right now. Chloe was so shocked that she couldn’t even speak properly.
“Hyung.”
Now even hiccups appear.
The upper and lower teeth collide with each other. Chloe looks beyond the fist that stopped in front of her nose.
Eerie blue eyes.
Eyes like a wild beast are staring intently at you. Chloe feels scared. A deep, terrifying fear that cannot be described.
“Hey, hey.”
Suddenly, tears formed around Chloe’s eyes.
Chloe trembled and opened her mouth. She struggled to piece together word after word and pronounce it.
“Why are you doing this to me?”
Her voice was very trembling, but who could blame her? Chloe gathered her courage and asked the unexpected attacker. Why are you doing this to me?
“uh···.”
After hearing those words, the unexpected attacker, Raniel, made a very subtle expression. She muttered, slowly lowering her fist.
“···is not it?”
What on earth is this?
Chloe felt like she wanted to get up and run away right away.
‘Belnoa, please come quickly…!’
I don’t get annoyed anymore.
Chloe silently prays to her childhood friend. More earnestly than ever.
3.
A customer who comes to an old store and a girl who temporarily acts as the store owner’s assistant manager look at each other. There is a very awkward atmosphere between the two.
“Well, I mean.”
“huh.”
“You punched me because you thought I was such a bad person that you could have punched me as soon as you met me?”
“That’s it.”
Chloe’s clenched fists trembled in front of a woman who should be called a handmaid rather than a customer.
“That makes sense…!”
If we were to listen to the person who became Sonnom, it was like this.
‘There was a very bad person, and he looked a lot like me… and the voice was the same, so I started shaking my fist and saw it?’
Does this make any sense?
Although Chloe considers herself to be kind-hearted and patient, she wanted to scream and get angry at the woman in front of her.
“Whoo, whoo….”
Chloe barely managed to shake off her anger and opened her mouth.
“I don’t know who the bad person you are talking about is… but whoever it is, shouldn’t they be violent without saying a word as soon as they meet them?”
It’s a straight argument. It was morally correct.
However, as is usually the case with correct opinions… they only work for people who fall into the category of common sense.
“No, that crazy bitch can do that.”
“···yes?”
“You can beat him up as soon as you meet him. On the contrary, if you don’t destroy it as soon as you see it, it will be very annoying…”
And, the woman in front of me was not normal.
Although it looks nice, there is some kind of mental illness inside. Chloe pressed her temples and spoke slowly.
“Anyway, I’m not that unknown person, and I have nothing to do with it!”
“That’s right.”
The woman nods her head at Chloe’s protest.
“Then shouldn’t you apologize first…?”
“That too… that’s right.”
Even as she nodded, the woman’s expression was very subtle. In fact, she… So, even from Raniel’s perspective, she had quite a lot to say.
‘They really look alike.’
Even if it’s the same person, it’s almost believable.
He had slightly longer bangs than the apostate and looked a little younger than her, but that was the only difference.
Eyes, hair color, skin.
Even their voices are similar.
‘Can people be this much alike?’
The atmosphere itself is similar.
The girl in front of me has very heterogeneous mana. Mana, horrified, clenched her fist under the table and repeated her actions.
‘Besides, what were the circumstances like when you met?’
This girl was sitting where Cardi should have been. And she was holding a broken flask in one hand. My other hand was dabbed with red liquid.
A dark red, slimy liquid flowing on the floor.
Broken flask.
And, the pungent smell unique to medicine.
From Raniel’s perspective, it was more difficult not to misunderstand in that situation. Raniel, who was pursing his lips, slowly opened his mouth.
“Sorry. “I guess I was mistaken.”
“···But since you didn’t hit me, I’ll let it go. “Please be careful next time.”
Despite saying that, the girl still doesn’t let down her guard. It was the same for Raniel. Raniel looked at the girl intently and asked a question.
“…But, what is your name?”
“yes?”
“What is your name?”
The girl answered Raniel’s question.
“It’s Chloe.”
The moment he heard that name, Raniel’s eyes widened slightly. Chloe. He is a warrior candidate that he had chosen in advance. Raniel’s eyes sparkled.
‘Ah, being a hero can be foreign.’
It was a moment when vigilance turned into joy.
Raniel’s voice became much softer.
“Oh, are you Chloe?”
“···Who are you pretending to know? Do you know me?”
“Yeah, I know. “I know.”
Raniel smiles brightly.
Chloe was startled by that laugh and pulled back. In an instant, my attitude toward myself changed. It was a horrifying thing for Chloe, who didn’t know the reason.
‘You know me well?’
So what are all the things you said just now?
‘···What is he saying now.’
Is this a new kind of scammer?
No matter how you look at it, he was not a normal person.
“huh? What are you doing?”
“Talk there. Let’s talk from a distance. we.”
Chloe kept a little distance from Raniel.
